tolerable

1 of 2

adjective

tol·​er·​a·​ble ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl 

ˈtäl-rə-;

ˈtä-lər-bəl

1

: capable of being borne or endured

tolerable pain

2

: moderately good or agreeable : passable

a tolerable singing voice

tolerability

ˌtä-lə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌtäl-rə-

noun

tolerably

ˈtä-lə-rə-blē 

ˈtäl-rə-;

ˈtä-lər-blē

adverb

tolerability

2 of 2

noun

tol·​er·​a·​bil·​i·​ty ˌtäl(ə)rəˈbilətē 

ˌtälərˈb-, 

-lətē, 

-i

: the quality or state of being tolerable

Synonyms of tolerable

Adjective

• endurable
• bearable
• sustainable
• sufferable

Examples of tolerable in a Sentence

Adjective

The heat was tolerable for only a short time.

stubbing your toe is at least a more tolerable pain than breaking your foot

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

On the pod, Liao and Cheny come together — sometimes joined by their funniest friends — to debate the chaos of modern social behavior, how to be slightly better humans, and the art of being a tolerable person. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Just like there are only 12 notes in an octave, there are only so many words, concepts, and tolerable puns that beauty brands can come up with to identify and market their products. — Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Sep. 2026

Faucets are regularly tested, and those with lead-laden water — there is no such thing as a tolerable level — are replaced. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

These are far more tolerable conclusions to reach than, say, the idea that credentialing has no business sharing a venue with coming of age, or that undergraduate education is at odds with the mission of a research institution. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tolerable

• intolerable

Kids Definition

tolerable

adjective

tol·​er·​able

ˈtäl-(ə-)rə-bəl, 

ˈtäl-ər-bəl

1

: capable of being put up with

tolerable pain

2

: fairly good

a tolerable singing voice

tolerably

-blē

adverb